Hell's Bells

Chapter 2

The knocking was incessant, Lisa couldn't drag herself away from Dean. Whomever it was, they could come back. Dean had other thoughts, the knocking was making his headache worse, and kept getting louder.

"I'm going to kill whatever idiot thinks it's funny to knock like this in the middle of the freaking night!" He hissed standing up.

"Dean, it's okay. Just relax, if it's important they'll come back."

"Or they'll keep knocking until I go down there and cut off their hands."

Lisa paled, her brown eyes wide. "I won't kill the asshole, but just in case we have an unwelcome visitor..."

The old green duffle bag was hidden away on the very top shelf in the closet. Even as tall as Ben was getting he couldn't reach it. He had given Bobby the Colt, the Demon Knife, and the Angel Knife. He didn't expect he'd need them. However Dean was still a Winchester, still on the demonic hit list.

He grabbed a small, silver knife and a flask of holy water, both of which were highly useful, and easily concealed. Out of habit he instructed Lisa to stay put.

Panic was rising in her chest, Dean must have heard or felt something if he was diving into his hunting gear. She sat still, quietly praying. For a moment she thought she should go to Ben, keep him quiet, but she didn't, she did as Dean asked, and waited.

A light flickered inside the house, Sam clenched his fist and waited for the worst. The door clicked and flew open. Dean stood there, his jaw hanging open as he stared at the face of his little brother.

"I'm not going to try and convince you it's me. Do what you have to to convince yourself." Sam said. His eyes welled up with tears as he started on, waiting. Dean didn't look like himself at all. Up close he looked tired, sick even.

"Sammy?" He rasped, taking a step back shaking his head. "No, no. You - you said..."

"I know, I expected it. I don't know what happened. Maybe Michael did some kind of angel mojo or something. Just, get the salt, get the holy water, draw a devil's trap, just do something so you know it's really me." Sam was becoming increasingly worried, Dean should be jumping for the salt, but he looked like a frightened kid.

He held out the flask. Sam smiled, nothing like holy water in a silver flask to rule out shifters and lower level demons. He grabbed it firmly and unscrewed the top, drinking it all in a single gulp. He was relieved to see his brother's eyes narrow in suspicion.

"Of course if you're still Lucifer, silver and holy water isn't going to do a whole hell of a lot now is it?" Dean's hunter instincts began to take him over. "And here's me without my holy oil"

"Well, we used oil from the Impala on Gabriel." Sam suggested. "All you have to do is bless it."

"No demon would know about that."

"Just do it, Dean. I want you to be sure. one-hundred percent."

"Be straight with me, Sammy. Is it really you?" Dean asked, a note a pleading coloring his tone.

"I'm me, Dean."

Dean felt like he couldn't breathe, after spending two hours telling Lisa that his brother was dead and not coming back, he was here. Sam was standing on the front porch, looking just as torn.

A timid voice whimpered his name from upstairs. He realized too late that he had probably scared Lisa to death. "Sammy stay here. Don't move." He ran upstairs to find her doe eyed, with tears running down her face.

"Dean? Who was it?" She was still whispering, staring at the tracks on his face from the fresh tears. Dean wiped his hand down his face, closing his eyes.

"You won't believe me if I tell you. You should see for yourself." Lisa looked at him, almost skeptically, making him proud for one tiny moment. Lisa stood and splashed a glass of water into his face, when he opened his eyes and wiped it away, he noticed a cross hanging out of the cup, and a prayer book sticking out from under the bed. He began laughing hysterically. Sammy was standing on the threshold, and Lisa was testing him with holy water. "It's really me. I swear."

He held out his hand, which Lisa took reluctantly. He led her down the stairs and opened the front door, Sam was sitting on the steps, his back to the door, smiling once again at the Impala.

For the second time that night, Lisa raised her hand to her mouth in shock. Dean was almost leaning against her, as if for support. "My God, Sam is that really you?" She asked, he turned his head and gave her a half-smile.

"Holy water and silver seem to think so." Sam's eyes roamed back to the car, for some reason, it made Dean a little uneasy.

"Dude, stop staring at her like that, she's not a piece of meat." Lisa was floored, she hadn't seen Dean joke since the incident in Cicero.

Sam on the other hand was completely relieved. The Impala was still his baby. She was still home, in a sense. "Lisa, I don't want to be rude, but could I steal my brother away. just for an hour or two?" Lisa knew this hour or two would be all the time it would take for Dean to make the decision to stay, or leave. Her apprehension was written all over her face.

"How about tomorrow Sammy. Where are you staying?" Dean gently wrapped his arm around Lisa's waist, looking her in the eye. He knew what she was thinking - more than anything he knew he wanted to be with her. But he couldn't abandon Sam, he'd only just got him back. Again.

"Squatting, actually. I'm in that old abandoned number on Garfield, right by the edge of town."

"Man, I don't envy you. That place is rank." Dean chuckled

"It's not so bad actually. It's not haunted anyway." Sam didn't care much for the place, there were enough pests and rodents to keep him awake when his dreams weren't up to the task.

"I'd invite you stay here. But we don't really have any place for you to sleep. Maybe - Dean maybe we should at least give him some money for a motel."

"No, don't worry about it." Sam turned down Lisa's offer pointedly. "I was thinking I'd head down to see if Bobby is home yet."

"No," Dean pulled his wallet from his back pocket, pulling out a red credit card. "You're going to stay in a hotel, where you can sleep properly. You look like hell Sammy, I ain't gonna lie."

"You'd know better than anyone - a trip to hell, no matter how short, it's still a trip to hell." Sam offered. Dean closed his eyes and grimaced, his eyebrows knitting together.

Lisa gasped, "Wait, a... A trip to hell? Dean? What is he talking about."

"Seriously dude, don't you think that's a fragile subject? Lisa, it's a long story. I'll explain later. I promise."

One glance between the brothers sealed the conversation. Sam apologized profusely, trying to calm Lisa.

"Seriously though, Sam. Hotel. There's a place two blocks over. I'll find ya tomorrow."

"Sure, right. Again, I'm sorry Lisa. I'll see you later, man." Sam walked away, softly patting the trunk of the Impala, an action which made Dean wonder what the hell happened to his brother, making him finally respect the wheels.